Rare Old Map of New Harmony, Indiana by USGS, 1959: Wabash River & Bethel
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1961 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
Restored from the original 1961 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
If you want to add a gift message, or a finish (jigsaw, aluminium board, etc.) that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
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Published in 1961 from 1959 mapping, the US Geological Survey’s “New Harmony” presents a finely observed portrait of southwestern Indiana at the...
Continue readingPublished in 1961 from 1959 mapping, the US Geological Survey’s “New Harmony” presents a finely observed portrait of southwestern Indiana at the authoritative 1:24,000 scale. Centered on the historic town of New Harmony, the sheet captures a landscape shaped by water, agriculture, and modest settlement, with the Wabash River forming the dominant geographic presence. Blue waterways, green vegetation markings, and carefully spaced contour lines give the map its characteristic mid-century USGS clarity, translating lowland terrain into an elegant visual language of elevation, drainage, and land use. More than a technical document, it is a measured snapshot of Posey County and its riverine surroundings in the late 1950s, before later decades of infrastructural expansion altered the region’s rural character.
New Harmony itself lends the map unusual historical resonance. The town is renowned as the site of two ambitious nineteenth-century communal experiments: first the religious Harmony Society, founded by German Pietists, and later Robert Owen’s secular utopian community, which drew educators, scientists, and reformers to the Wabash frontier. By the time this map was surveyed, New Harmony had long since become a quiet small town, yet its name still evoked one of America’s most fascinating episodes of social idealism. The USGS map situates that storied settlement within its practical geographic setting: roads, fields, river bends, drainage channels, and low rises, all revealing the environmental stage on which New Harmony’s remarkable history unfolded.
The Wabash River is the commanding feature of the sheet, winding through the map with the broad authority of a major Midwestern watercourse. Its adjacent lowlands, islands, and flood-prone margins are rendered with the precision that makes USGS topography so valuable. Ribs Island and Fox Island appear as part of this shifting river landscape, while Muddy River and other drainage features indicate the complex hydrology of the area. The map’s blue hydrographic network contrasts beautifully with the measured brown contours, emphasizing how strongly water dictated settlement, farming, transport, and boundaries in this corner of Indiana. Here, the land reads as an intimate negotiation between cultivated ground and the seasonal power of the river.
Beyond New Harmony, the map records a constellation of rural places and local landmarks, including Bethel and Mount Erie, each embedded in a patterned countryside of roads, fields, and subtle elevation changes. The terrain is not mountainous, but the contours are nonetheless revealing: slight rises, terraces, and river bottoms are carefully distinguished, allowing the viewer to understand the practical geography of travel, drainage, and cultivation. Green-tinted woodland and vegetation areas suggest the persistence of riparian growth and scattered natural cover amid farmland. In this sense, the map is both scientific and pastoral, documenting the quiet complexity of a working rural landscape where small communities were closely tied to soil, water, and seasonal rhythms.
As a product of the US Geological Survey, the map reflects one of the great cartographic traditions of the twentieth-century United States. USGS topographic sheets were created to serve engineers, planners, geologists, military users, conservationists, and ordinary citizens, and their disciplined symbology became a trusted national language of place. The “New Harmony” sheet embodies that tradition with its crisp linework, calibrated contours, and restrained palette, offering a remarkably detailed record of the region as it stood in the late 1950s. Its appeal lies in the union of technical accuracy and historical atmosphere: a map of a celebrated Indiana town, a great American river, and the surrounding countryside preserved at a moment of quiet transition.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- New Harmony, Indiana
- Wabash River
- Little Wabash River
- Bethel
- Mount Erie
- Ribs Island
- Fox Island
- Muddy River
- Rural land areas and elevation contours
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map produced by the US Geological Survey.
- Dated 1959, with a 1961 imprint.
- Published by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed topographical mapping and geological science.
- Features precise contour lines and shading to show elevation and terrain variation.
- Depicts a riverine landscape with detailed elevation changes, green vegetation areas, and blue water features.
- Reflects land use and geographic features of the area in the late 1950s, before extensive urban and infrastructural development in Indiana.
Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.
Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.
Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.
Published in 1961 from 1959 mapping, the US Geological Survey’s “New Harmony” presents a finely observed portrait of southwestern Indiana at the authoritative 1:24,000 scale. Centered on the historic town of New Harmony, the sheet captures a landscape shaped by water, agriculture, and modest settlement, with the Wabash River forming the dominant geographic presence. Blue waterways, green vegetation markings, and carefully spaced contour lines give the map its characteristic mid-century USGS clarity, translating lowland terrain into an elegant visual language of elevation, drainage, and land use. More than a technical document, it is a measured snapshot of Posey County and its riverine surroundings in the late 1950s, before later decades of infrastructural expansion altered the region’s rural character.
New Harmony itself lends the map unusual historical resonance. The town is renowned as the site of two ambitious nineteenth-century communal experiments: first the religious Harmony Society, founded by German Pietists, and later Robert Owen’s secular utopian community, which drew educators, scientists, and reformers to the Wabash frontier. By the time this map was surveyed, New Harmony had long since become a quiet small town, yet its name still evoked one of America’s most fascinating episodes of social idealism. The USGS map situates that storied settlement within its practical geographic setting: roads, fields, river bends, drainage channels, and low rises, all revealing the environmental stage on which New Harmony’s remarkable history unfolded.
The Wabash River is the commanding feature of the sheet, winding through the map with the broad authority of a major Midwestern watercourse. Its adjacent lowlands, islands, and flood-prone margins are rendered with the precision that makes USGS topography so valuable. Ribs Island and Fox Island appear as part of this shifting river landscape, while Muddy River and other drainage features indicate the complex hydrology of the area. The map’s blue hydrographic network contrasts beautifully with the measured brown contours, emphasizing how strongly water dictated settlement, farming, transport, and boundaries in this corner of Indiana. Here, the land reads as an intimate negotiation between cultivated ground and the seasonal power of the river.
Beyond New Harmony, the map records a constellation of rural places and local landmarks, including Bethel and Mount Erie, each embedded in a patterned countryside of roads, fields, and subtle elevation changes. The terrain is not mountainous, but the contours are nonetheless revealing: slight rises, terraces, and river bottoms are carefully distinguished, allowing the viewer to understand the practical geography of travel, drainage, and cultivation. Green-tinted woodland and vegetation areas suggest the persistence of riparian growth and scattered natural cover amid farmland. In this sense, the map is both scientific and pastoral, documenting the quiet complexity of a working rural landscape where small communities were closely tied to soil, water, and seasonal rhythms.
As a product of the US Geological Survey, the map reflects one of the great cartographic traditions of the twentieth-century United States. USGS topographic sheets were created to serve engineers, planners, geologists, military users, conservationists, and ordinary citizens, and their disciplined symbology became a trusted national language of place. The “New Harmony” sheet embodies that tradition with its crisp linework, calibrated contours, and restrained palette, offering a remarkably detailed record of the region as it stood in the late 1950s. Its appeal lies in the union of technical accuracy and historical atmosphere: a map of a celebrated Indiana town, a great American river, and the surrounding countryside preserved at a moment of quiet transition.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- New Harmony, Indiana
- Wabash River
- Little Wabash River
- Bethel
- Mount Erie
- Ribs Island
- Fox Island
- Muddy River
- Rural land areas and elevation contours
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map produced by the US Geological Survey.
- Dated 1959, with a 1961 imprint.
- Published by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed topographical mapping and geological science.
- Features precise contour lines and shading to show elevation and terrain variation.
- Depicts a riverine landscape with detailed elevation changes, green vegetation areas, and blue water features.
- Reflects land use and geographic features of the area in the late 1950s, before extensive urban and infrastructural development in Indiana.
Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.
Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.
Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.
Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.
Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.
We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.
- We can deliver directly to the recipient
- Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
- Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
- Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
- 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide
If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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